Prepare for the Teaching Assistant (Paraprofessional) Exam
As part of the “No Child Left Behind” Act of 2001, states are now required to certify the skills of Teaching Assistants. Many states have adopted ACT’s WorkKeys® assessment test for this, including North Carolina and Mississippi.

KeyTrain™ allows you to practice for this test using questions similar to those you will find on the WorkKeys assessment. KeyTrain also offers a comprehensive self-guided curriculum to help you review and prepare for the test. (Please note that KeyTrain is not the actual test that you will be taking - this test will be administered by your school system or local college.)

KeyTrain has prepared a special package for individual, at-home use by Teaching Assistants. This package includes an interactive CD of the full courses (all levels) for Reading for Information, Applied Mathematics and Writing. (You must have a Windows® computer to use this CD.) You can order the CD by downloading our order form.

For an order form or demo: Click Here

What is the WorkKeys® assessment?
The WorkKeys assessment is part of the WorkKeys employment system. The WorkKeys system measures basic workplace skills such as reading, mathematics, writing, listening, teamwork and others. The system can measure the skills of individuals and the skill requirements of specific jobs. In this way, organizations can determine if individuals have the basic skills that are required to be successful in a specific job.

WorkKeys is a product of ACT, Inc., the same non-profit company that publishes the ACT college-entrance assessment.

What is KeyTrain™?
KeyTrain is a set of curriculum that covers the same skills as the WorkKeys assessments. Using KeyTrain, you can practice and improve the skills that you need in your job. Because KeyTrain is organized according to the WorkKeys system, you can also use it to practice before taking the WorkKeys assessment.

Is KeyTrain the same as the Teaching Assistant test that my school wants me to take?
No. If your state is using the WorkKeys assessment to certify the skills of paraprofessional teaching assistants, then you will be taking the actual WorkKeys assessment. KeyTrain is simply a way to prepare yourself for taking this test.

Where do I take the Teaching Assistant test? (The WorkKeys assessment)
You need to contact your school system to determine where the test is given. We do not administer the WorkKeys test.

What is included in the KeyTrain package? Does it have practice tests?
The KeyTrain Teacher’s Assistant package includes an interactive CD-ROM for Applied Mathematics, Reading for Information, and Writing. You will need a Windows® computer to use this CD.

The CD includes interactive curriculum, pretests, and posttests for all levels for the three courses. It includes questions in similar format to those that you will see on the WorkKeys assessment. Using these, you can estimate your WorkKeys skills and then study to improve these.

Can I purchase the Teacher’s Assistant package for use by my school?
No, the individual user package is only for use by a single person. If your school wants to purchase a site license for use by multiple persons, then a school representative should contact us for pricing details.

Do we have workbook study guides?
Yes, we do have workbooks available. Unlike the CD version, the workbooks are sold by individual levels. Therefore you must select the individual skills areas and skill levels that you need. In addition, the workbooks do not have the practice pretests and posttests. However the actual learning curriculum is equivalent in the two versions.

If I pass KeyTrain, have I met the requirements of my state?
No. Only your score on the WorkKeys assessment is accepted as a credential by your state.

What is the actual test like?
The Applied Mathematics and Reading for Information tests are multiple choice. Each contains 33 questions and last 45 minutes. In the Writing assessment, you listen to several audio passages while taking notes. After each passage, you then compose a written summary of the passage in two to six minutes. The Writing assessment lasts 40 minutes in total.

What do I have to score to pass the test?
You should contact your school system to determine the specific scores required in your area. However many areas require a score of 4 in Applied Mathematics, 4 in Reading for Information, and 3 in Writing. WorkKeys scores are not related to grade-level equivalents or any other scoring system.

If I buy KeyTrain, what guarantee do I have of passing the test?
KeyTrain has been proven to improve the WorkKeys skills of the majority of users. It has also been shown to be a predictor of performance on the WorkKeys assessment. However each individual user responds differently to learning and testing situations. Therefore we cannot provide any guarantee of performance by a specific individual on the WorkKeys assessment.